2018 compositions

Aiōn (stylized as AIŌN) is a composition for orchestra by the Icelandic composer Anna S. Þorvaldsdóttir. The work was commissioned by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Iceland Symphony Orchestra. It was first performed on May 24, 2019, at the Point Music Festival in the Gothenburg Concert Hall, Gothenburg, by the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Anna-Maria Helsing. The world premiere also featured dance accompaniment performed by the Iceland Dance Company with choreography by Erna Ómarsdóttir and video projections created by Pierre-Alain Giraud and Valdimar Jóhannsson.

Jörg Widmann's Violin Concerto No. 2 was composed in 2018 for his sister Carolin Widmann. The work premiered on 31 August 2018 with soloist Carolin Widmann and Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra conducted by Jörg Widmann at Suntory Hall, Tokyo. The concerto is dedicated to Carolin Widmann ("für Caro") and was commissioned by Suntory Hall, Orchestre de Paris and Frankfurt Radio Symphony.

Symphony No. 12 (Lodger) is the twelfth symphony by the American composer Philip Glass. The work was commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and premiered January 10, 2019, with John Adams conducting the LA Phil at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. The European premiere followed on May 9, 2019 with a performance by the London Contemporary Orchestra at Southbank Centre.

The Symphony in A minor, "On the Ruins of an Ancient Fort", Op. 55, was composed by Airat Ichmouratov in 2017 with support by Longueuil Arts Council. It was premiered in Longueuil City on 28 September 2018 by Longueuil Symphony Orchestra under the baton of French-Canadian conductor Marc David. Ichmouratov's Symphony seeks to recreate the vitality of Longueuil, a city on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River, from its beginnings as an outpost of New France (only the foundations of Fort Longueuil remain) to the present day.

Peter Reulein's Te Deum is a choral composition completed in 2018, a setting of the Te Deum. It is scored like Palmeri's Misatango, for four-part choir (SATB), bandoneon, piano and strings; it also uses Latin-American dance rhythms.

Lacrimosa No. 2 is a sacred composition for soprano, women's choir and chamber orchestra by Krzysztof Penderecki, completed in 2018, setting the liturgical text Lacrimosa from the Requiem mass.

"Succession (Main Title Theme)" is the theme music of HBO's satirical black comedy-drama television series Succession which plays during the title sequence. It was composed by Nicholas Britell in 2018 and was released by Milan Records and HBO on July 20, 2018. The theme was composed using piano tunes, layered with strings, brass, beats from the 808 (drum machine) and percussive sounds to blend classical and hip hop music. The title theme was critically acclaimed and became hailed as "one of the best television show themes" while also being referenced in popular cultures, with being included in memes, remixes and fan projects. A remixed version of this song by rapper Pusha T, was released on October 2019. At the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards the title theme won the award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music.

Must the Devil Have All the Good Tunes? is a piano concerto by the American composer John Adams. Its title is taken from a saying attributed to Martin Luther. The work was premiered on March 7, 2019 by Yuja Wang and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. A recording, made by Wang, Dudamel, and the Los Angeles Philharmonic in November 2019, was released digitally by Deutsche Grammophon on April 17, 2020. The piece is Adams' third piano concerto, after Eros Piano (1989) and Century Rolls (1997).

Spiral is a 2018 composition for orchestra by the American composer Andrew Norman. The work was premiered on July 14, 2018 by the Berlin Philharmonic, conducted by Sir Simon Rattle, and was commissioned for one of Sir Simon's last concerts with the orchestra. The piece is scored for a large orchestra and is about five minutes long.

Sustain is a 2018 composition for orchestra by the American composer Andrew Norman. The work was premiered on October 4, 2018 by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, as part of their centennial season.